1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for dispensing a product, for example, a fluid product, in the form of a spray. In one example, the device could be configured to dispense a miniature spray of one or more cosmetic products and/or care products, for example, a product comprising at least one substance for imparting a scent.
2. Description of the Related Art
Examples of some dispensers are generally described in the following patent applications: FR-A-2 778 639, EP-A-0 761 314, FR-A-2 443 980; and in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,897,005, and 3,412,907. These devices generally suffer from at least one principal drawback, such as, for example, cost of manufacture, difficulty to use, or inability to generate a quality spray.
For example, for dispensers that contain samples of products that are generally not intended for sale, it is sometimes desired to keep the cost of manufacture as low as possible. In such dispensers, it may be important for the devices to include parts which can be produced easily by mass production and which can be assembled in a simple manner. Furthermore, it is sometimes desired for dispensers to be capable of generating a spray possessing good quality and consistent characteristics. It may also be desirable for dispensers to generate a relatively gentle spray for a certain duration, so that the spray may possess characteristics similar to the spray of an aerosol-type spray.
One solution for producing dispensers at a lower cost might include producing a reservoir in the form of a dosing bottle, for example, a dosing bottle of the type sometimes used for dispensing some physiological serums, eye ointments, and/or makeup removing products. Such a dosing bottle may be formed in a single piece, for example, with a spray orifice which may be opened by pulling off an endpiece (e.g., by twisting the endpiece off about the axis of the spray orifice). Such a dispenser may be filled via an open bottom in the reservoir. The open bottom may then be sealed, for example, by welding, in a manner similar to welding the end of a tube.
Such a solution may, however, suffer from two major drawbacks. A first drawback may arise from the fact that upon opening, the spray orifice resulting from pulling-off the endpiece (e.g., by twisting) may have an imprecise shape and size. This may result in the spray characteristic varying greatly from one device to another when compressible walls of the reservoir are pressed to initiate spraying. In some instances, the cross-section of the orifice may be such that it is not possible to generate a spray. In such instances, the product may be able to flow out of the dispensing orifice only in the form of droplets of a greater or lesser size, or in the form of a continuous stream, rather than in the form of a spray.
A second drawback may be found, for example, in the welding operation. For example, in a dispenser containing a highly volatile product such as a scent, there is a risk that the product will evaporate when subjected to the heat associated with a welding process. The product may even deteriorate or ignite.
In addition, in some known devices, the quality of the spray may depend on the rate at which the compressible walls of the reservoir are pressed. In such devices, if the walls are pressed slowly, the spray may be of poor quality. FR 2 778 639 describes a spray device including a wall having a predetermined threshold of resistance to deformation that makes it possible to obtain a good quality spray. Nevertheless, in this particular device, there is no provision for producing a spray duration which is capable of being altered.
One subject of the invention relates to a dispenser, for example, a spray device, which may fully or partly obviate one or more drawbacks associated with the related art. Another subject of the invention relates a device which may be easy to mass-produce in a cost-effective manner. Another subject of the invention concerns a device for dispensing which may render it possible to generate a spray of satisfactory quality which may be consistently reproducible from one device to another. A further subject of the invention pertains to a device that may be capable of generating spray for a certain duration, and that may be capable of obtaining a relatively gentle spray. These subjects are optional and exemplary. Other subjects might also be possible.
In the following description, certain aspects and embodiments will become evident. It should be understood that the invention, in its broadest sense, could be practiced without having one or more feature of these aspects and embodiments. It should also be understood that these aspects and embodiments are merely exemplary.
In one aspect, as embodied and broadly described herein, the invention includes a device for dispensing a fluid product. The device includes a reservoir configured to contain a fluid product. The reservoir may include at least one actuating wall having a predetermined threshold resistance to deformation, and a spray orifice associated with the reservoir. The actuating wall may be configured to deform in response to pressure exerted on the actuating wall so as to cause the product to be sprayed out from the orifice. Moreover, the actuating wall may be configured so that when pressure exerted on the actuating wall is less than a threshold pressure Ps sufficient to overcome the predetermined threshold resistance to deformation of the actuating wall, substantially no portion of the product is sprayed from the spray orifice. The device may be configured so that, at least upon a first use of the device, continuous exerting of the threshold pressure Ps on the actuating wall causes spraying of the product from the spray orifice for a spray duration that is capable of being altered. For example, the device may be configured so that exerting of at least the threshold pressure Ps on the actuating wall may cause the actuating wall to deform suddenly, thereby creating an overpressure condition within the reservoir.
As used herein, a wall having a xe2x80x9cthreshold resistance to deformationxe2x80x9d means a wall configured in such a way that its deformation does not depend linearly on the pressure exerted on it in order to deform it, but entails the passing of a threshold. Thus, pressure exerted by a user on the actuating wall before the threshold pressure Ps (i.e., the pressure necessary and sufficient to overcome the predetermined threshold resistance to deformation of the actuating wall) is reached, may cause some deformation of the wall which does not allow the product to be sprayed but which does allow energy to be built up so that when the pressure exerted by the user on the wall reaches the threshold pressure Ps, the wall deforms suddenly. The volume inside the reservoir is then reduced in such a way that an overpressure is suddenly created inside the reservoir. This overpressure allows the product to be expelled from the spray orifice in the form of a spray. In at least some embodiments, that spray may be a good quality spray.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9csprayxe2x80x9d means to eject and/or disperse a substance (e.g., a liquid) in the form of a mass or cloud of droplets, or in a discontinuous stream of droplets, such as, for example, in an atomizing fashion where the substance is in the form of a fine mist of tiny particles and/or droplets. In one example, the xe2x80x9csprayxe2x80x9d could be in a form similar to that of perfume dispensed in small particles dispersed in the air. In another example, the xe2x80x9csprayxe2x80x9d could be in a form similar to that sometimes associated with aerosol dispensers.
The range of times for which the duration of spraying is to be altered may determine certain aspects of the configuration of the device, for example, the cross-section of the spray orifice and its maximum throughput (e.g., its throughput as a function of the viscosity of the product and of the overpressure that may be generated inside the reservoir in response to the pressure exerted on the actuating wall). In determining these parameters, the nature of the materials, the thickness of the actuating wall, the profile of the actuating wall and/or the reservoir, and/or the volume of the reservoir, among other parameters, for example, may be altered.
In another aspect, the device may be configured so that the spray duration is altered according to the time during which pressure is exerted on the actuating wall. The range for which the time can be altered is not infinite. For example, after a certain length of time of continuous exertion of the pressure Ps, if no additional energy is applied, the overpressure inside the reservoir will drop below the value required for causing spraying. Spraying may then be interrupted. By releasing the pressure exerted on the actuating wall, and then by exerting pressure again, one may be able to alter the spray duration. The device may be operated in this manner until the volume of product in the reservoir becomes insufficient to obtain the slightest amount of spraying in response to the pressure Ps. In such cases, and in order to achieve maximum emptying of the reservoir, it may be necessary to exert a pressure higher than the pressure Ps.
In another aspect, the device may be configured to provide an atomizing spray of the product from the spray orifice.
In yet another aspect, the device of may be configured to contain a sample dose of fluid product, and the device may further include the fluid product contained in the reservoir. For example, at least prior to a first use of the device, the product may have a volume ranging from about 0.5 milliliter to about 15 milliliters. The product may include at least one of a cosmetic product and a care product and such a product may have a volume that is a sample dose. For example, the product may include at least one component imparting a scent to the product. In some examples, the product may comprise at least one of a perfume and a cologne.
In another aspect, the device may be configured to alter the spray duration over a range of from about 1 second to about 45 seconds. For example, the device may be configured to alter the spray duration over a range of from about 2 seconds to about 10 seconds.
According to yet another aspect, the actuating wall may be configured to revert to its initial shape via elastic return (e.g., have shape memory) when the pressure exerted on the actuating wall ceases. This may enable the device to be used several times in succession. For example, the actuating wall may be configured to be deformed from an undeformed position to a deformed position, and may be provided with a substantially convex profile (e.g., in the form of a dome) in its undeformed position and a substantially concave profile in its deformed position. The deformed position may occur when the pressure exerted on the actuating wall reaches the threshold pressure Ps. Such a configuration may render it possible to more easily obtain a wall with a threshold resistance to deformation which substantially corresponds to the change between the concave profile and the convex profile. This configuration may also encourage the actuating wall to return to the convex position when the pressure ceases.
In still another aspect, the actuating wall of the reservoir may be formed of thermoplastic material. For example, the thermoplastic material may be selected from polyethylenes, polypropylenes, polyethylene terephthalates, polyethylene naphthalates, polyacrylonitriles, polyoxymethylenes, and polyvinyl chlorides.
In a further aspect, the device may be provided with a diffuser including, for example, a nozzle and the spray orifice. The nozzle may include at least one swirl-inducing duct. For example, a portion of the device defining the spray orifice may be configured to induce a swirl to product sprayed from the spray orifice. A swirl-inducing duct may render it possible to accelerate the fluid upstream of the spray orifice so as to produce very fine particles of liquid. The spray orifice could also be alternatively formed as a relatively simple nozzle. In addition, the diffuser may be mounted, for example, on the reservoir via one of snap-fastening and screw-fastening. Thus, when the reservoir is empty, such a diffuser may be removed so as to refill the reservoir in order to reuse the device. Alternatively, an intermediate element may be provided between the reservoir and the diffuser. The intermediate element may be, for example, an endpiece which may be mounted on the reservoir (e.g., by snap-fastening and/or screw-fastening). The diffuser may be mounted on the endpiece, for example, by bonding and/or welding (e.g., by applying heat).
In an additional aspect, the reservoir may define an interior volume in an undeformed state ranging from about 0.2 milliliter to about 15 milliliters. According to another aspect, the reservoir may define an interior volume in an undeformed state ranging from about 0.5 milliliter to about 10 milliliters. The reservoir may define an interior volume in a deformed state ranging from about 0.17 milliliter to about 14 milliliters, for example, from about 0.4 milliliter to about 9 milliliters. For example, the difference between an interior volume of the reservoir in an undeformed state and a deformed state may range from about 0.01 milliliter to about 2.25 milliliters, for example, from about 5% to about 15% of the interior volume of the reservoir in the undeformed state.
In still a further aspect, a portion of the reservoir opposite the actuating wall may define a substantially planar surface. In addition, the device may define a substantially tear-drop shape. At least a portion of the reservoir may be one of at least partially transparent and at least partially translucent, and/or the reservoir may include at least one substance imparting a color to the reservoir.
According to another aspect, the reservoir may include a first portion comprising the actuating wall and at least one other portion. In one embodiment of a device having such a configuration, when the threshold pressure Ps is exerted on the first portion and the other portion, substantially only the actuating wall may deflect.
In an additional aspect, a method of dispensing a product may include providing the device for dispensing, and exerting the threshold pressure Ps on the actuating wall so as to spray the product from the spray orifice. The product may include at least one of a cosmetic product and a care product. In another aspect, the method may also include directing spray of the product toward a body region (e.g., the skin, an article of clothing on the skin, and/or hair). The product may include at least one component imparting a scent to the product. For example, the product may include at least one of a perfume and a cologne. According to an additional aspect, the spraying of the product may occur for a predetermined duration of time. In still another aspect, the spraying may occur until the pressure exerted on the actuating wall drops below the threshold pressure Ps. The volume of the product sprayed may range from about 0.01 milliliter to about 1 milliliter.
The term xe2x80x9cprovidingxe2x80x9d is used in a broad sense, and refers to, but is not limited to, making available for use, enabling usage, giving, supplying, obtaining, getting a hold of, acquiring, purchasing, selling, distributing, possessing, making ready for use, and/or placing in a position ready for use.
Aside from the structural and procedural arrangements set forth above, the invention could include a number of other arrangements, such as those explained hereinafter. It is to be understood, that both the foregoing description and the following description are exemplary.